Distributional Notes on Three Wolf Spider Species (Araneae: Lycosidae) Recorded for the First Time in Diyala Province, Iraq

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  Distributional Notes on Three Wolf Spider Species (Araneae: Lycosidae) Recorded for the First Time in Diyala Province, Iraq Abstract This study presents new distributional data for three wolf spider species (Araneae: Lycosidae) from Diyala Province in eastern Iraq. Specimens were gathered from different districts and habitats between July 2025 and June 2026. The species Arctosa tbilisiensis Mcheidze, 1946, Lycosa piochardi Simon, 1876, and Wadicosa fidelis (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872) are recorded for the first time in Diyala, extending their known ranges within Iraq. The paper describes key diagnostic morphological features and includes information about the examined specimens and their local distributions. These findings improve knowledge of the distribution of Iraqi Lycosidae and reveal that Diyala Province, despite its habitat variety, remains insufficiently studied. The records serve as a valuable baseline for future taxonomic, faunistic, and ecological research on spiders i...

Qualitative and Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of Venoms from Mexican Rattlesnakes

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Qualitative and Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of Venoms from Mexican Rattlesnakes

Abstract

Despite the vast biodiversity of Mexican vipers, venom of endemic species has been barely studied. Here we analyzed the venom composition of three endemic species of rattlesnakes: Crotalus aquilus, C. triseriatus, and C. ravus. We used quantitative chromato-mass-spectrometry and compared venoms with C. molossus, a species commonly found in North America, in a comparative and phylogenetic framework. In total, we identified 165 proteins grouped in 19 main protein families, consistent with previous reports for viperid venoms. In C. aquilus and C. triseriatus, the most predominant protein-family type was Serine Proteases, and in C. triseriatus and C. molossus it was Snake Venom Metalloproteases. The Label-free quantification revealed a high proportion of Snake Venom Metalloproteases in C. aquilus, C. triseriatus, and C. molossus, reaching 28–47% of the total venom. In contrast, in C. ravus 47% of the venom was composed of Phospholipases A2. Among the four species analyzed, C. triseriatus and C. aquilus were most similar in compositional profiles and their profiles are highly correlated. Venom composition in terminal clades and taxa were better explained by protein losses than evolution of new proteins. The triseriatus group share seven proteins, while the clade C. aquilus + C. triseriatus share seven derived protein features, of which six are protein losses.

Hernández-Ancheyta, L., Reynoso, V. H., López-Vidal, J. C., Hernández-Sánchez, J., Delgadillo-Gutiérrez, K., Domínguez-López, M. L., & Luna-Herrera, J. (2026). Qualitative and Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of Venoms from Mexican Rattlesnakes. Toxins, 18(6), 256. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins18060256